The cyclodextrins alpha-, beta- and gamma- cyclodextrins are cyclic oligosaccharides made up of six, seven and eight (1-4) linked glucose units, respectively. They are produced by the degradation of starch and have found use in the pharmaceutical separation science, in model enzyme studies, as encapsulating agents for light- or oxygen-sensitive pharmaceuticals and as solubilizing agents for "insoluble" pharmaceuticals. In this proposal, promising, preliminary 13C NMR relaxation studies of cyclodextrin-free radical complexes are described and future studies proposed. These future studies will focus on electron- nuclear dipolar relaxation effects; experimental results will be related to the structure of the complexes and to the dynamics surrounding complex formation and motion. In the later stages of the proposed work, relaxation studies on chemically modified cyclodextrin-free radical complexes will be investigated. These chemically modified cyclodextrins will be ones which are of current interest to model enzyme chemists and separation scientists. The prime educational objective of this work is to encourage minority biomedical students to think deeply about biologically relevant problems at the molecular level. Particular emphasis will be placed on instructing students in the use of NMR to answer questions concerning the structure and dynamics of biologically interesting systems. The cyclodextrins with their relatively simple NMR spectra will provide a vehicle for introducing a wide range of NMR concepts. A secondary objective will be to teach students the fundamentals of free radical chemistry and the relationship of this chemistry to biology. Students will be instructed in the potentials and pitfalls surrounding the use of nitroxide radicals in NMR and ESR studies of molecular structure and dynamics.